The background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
All publications identified herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
Authentication of users attempting to access a secured digital location is an important step to take toward ensuring the safety of a user's personal information, and also in ensuring the safety of the digital location's information. Others have developed ways of authenticating users, but these previous attempts fail to appreciate improvements discussed herein.
U.S. Patent Appl. No. 2010/0269162 to Bravo et al. describes an authentication system for websites, but the system is focused more on the security of the website rather than the security of a user. Although the application discusses the use of a one-time password for website verification, it fails to appreciate a number of possible improvements. It fails to appreciate, among others, the benefits of authenticating a user rather than authenticating a website and that authentication of a user can be accomplished by means other than achieving a voice-call connection with the user. It also fails to appreciate the additional security provided by a user-generated message (i.e., a message originating from a user's device such as a mobile phone), which is unavailable when a system or method presumes the target contacting the user with a message authenticates a user.
In U.S. Patent Appl. No. 2012/0066749 to Taugbol et al., inventors attempted to create an improved authentication system. The system requires a user to first input a user ID as a first step in the authentication process. In doing so, the system fails to appreciate that it is possible to create an authentication system that does not require a user ID to perform user authentication.
Thus, there is still a need for an improved user identification and authentication system.